ARTHUR and CHESTER ( Caerleon )

There are a great number of places associated with King Arthur, which indicates that belief in his heroic deeds were widespread throughout much of Europe, legends are prominent in Wales, England and North Western France there are those that speculate that Chester ( Caerleon ) was home to King Arthur's Round Table, ' and the realm of Logres ' a land derived from the Welsh word for England .

The earliest accounts of Arthur are from Celtic, Latin, and French sources, fragments of truth in early chronicles which have been embellished when written down centuries later . Arthur's story has been told by many, with prominent work by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 1135 - 1150 ( History of the Kings of Britain, & The Life of Merlin ) the legend further extolled and enhanced by Sir Thomas Malory who compiled his famous prose romance Le Morte D' Arthur ( c. 1469 ) from the much earlier French and English romances, many authors since have based their novels or poems on Malory's work..

The Roman Ptolemy called our city Deunanna and Antoninus called it Deva from the river Dee , with the defeat of Bodicea by Suctonias we saw the arrival of the famous twentieth legion Valeria Victrix, Julias Agricola then formed a colony called Colonia Devana . The 20th Legion quitted Deva about A.D. 406 it then reverted to the Britons.

Views

The views of the Fifteenth century monk Henry Bradshaw ( Life of St. Werburgh ) are interesting , referring to the early Poly chronicle of Ranulf Higden c.1342 which was published in A.D. 1495 Wynkyn de Worde's, he refers to a traditional view of the Britons, that a mighty strong giant Lleon Gauer was founder to the city, their is also a reference to a King Leil and the name Caerleil .

Henry Bradshaw clearly indicates that there were two cites of the Legions named Caerleon, Which begs the question is it possible that the founder was a giant Briton and not a roman legionnaire ? St. Bede's reference to the name shows the Welsh used Carlegion in connection with Chester the Welsh word 'caer ' stands for fort and 'gauer ' giant , Caerleon is literally translated as Fort Leon, but it is more likely that Caer Leon Gawr should translate as Fort of the great legion there are many other Welsh ( Britons ) references Caerlleon Vawr , and Caerlleon ar Dyfyrdwy , Caerlegion -ar- dour. It is obviously sensible not to dismiss Chester when considering text that mentions Caerleon without first examining the context of what is written .

The second and third poems reflects the traditional view of that time ,we have both the Roman Emperor Lucius and Arthur mentioned but Henry Bradshaw was probably influenced by the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth , whose patron Robert of Gloucester was the son of Henry 1, and the Lord of the Marches where Caerleon -on - Usk is situated, which may explain the eagerness on Geoffrey of Monmouth's part to attribute everything to just Caerleon - on - Usk .

In the ninth century the writer Nennius ( Historia Brittonum ) claimed that Arthur commanded a mixed Roman-British army who fought twelve battles against the Saxons, whose raids on Britain had increased with the departure of the Roman legions . According to Nennius, Arthur inflicted a major defeat on the Saxons at Mount Badon but was mortally wounded in a later battle at Camlan .

The events referred to by Nennius , in his Historia Brittonum c. 800 which are believed to have happened in the West of the country close to a great legionary fortress, could only have been at either, Chester or Caerleon in South Wales .

There is definitely no evidence of any Saxon involvement with Caerleon on Usk, Chester is so near the Ribble that the Carleon used as a base for the Battle against the Northumbrians on the banks of the Ribraft ( Ribble ) which is also referred to by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Rapin must indicate Chester .

Geoffrey of Monmouth further identifies the coronation place as Caerleon on Usk , his description usually from an historical source, is appropriate to Chester ( Caerleon ).

" From the approach of the Feast of Penticost Arthur .....resolved the whole magnificent court , to place the crown upon his head and to invite all the kings and dukes under his subjection to the soleminity ..... He pitched upon the City of Legions as a proper place for this purpose , for besides the great wealth of it, above all other cities its situation of ..... was most pleasant, for on one side it was washed by the noble river so that kings and princes from countries beyond the seas might have the convenience of sailing up to it ; on the other side the beauty of the meadows and groves , and the magnificence of the royal palaces with lofty gilded roofs that adorned it may even rival the grandeur of Rome . There came ....The Arch bishops of the three Metropolitan Sees , London York and Dubricius of the City of the Legions, this Prelate who was Primate of Britain and Legate of the Apostolic See, was so eminent for his piety that by his prayers he could cure any sick person . "

Malory in his book Le Morte d' Arthur Chapter VIII refers to the feast held in remembrance of Pentecost which was shortly after Arthur's coronation at Carlion , both the Kings of Scotland and North Wales had rejected Arthur's sovereignty, referring to him as a beardless boy , forcing the young Arthur to take refuge in a strong tower with 500 of his good men. Within fifteen days Merlin came to substantiate Arthur's claim, a battle ensued that forced the King of Scotland to the Isle of Mona (Anglesey) .

A similar account is referred to by Langhorn ( The Chronicles of the Kings of England ) If Arthur was a descendant of the line of Constantine II and Macsen Gwledig, he would have held the tradition and glory of Rome , there is no doubt that there would have been continuity of Roman Christian beliefs, people would have taken up their clubs and staves in his defence, forcing the knights to depart . It is extremely doubtful that the kings of North Wales and Scotland would have traveled to Carleon on Usk or that Arthur would have chased them from there, to Anglesey but in the context of Chester then the story is plausible ).

Doubts do arise from the fact that Ambrosius and Arthur are not directly mentioned by name in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, however neither are the northern Saxons, the battle of Cerdisford referred to now as the battle of Charford is mentioned in A.D.519 were Arthur conceded Hampshire to the Saxon Cerdic, the beginnings of the line of Wessex .

A treaty brought eight years of peace where Arthur is believed to have traveled to Brittany to defend his nephew Hoel (Howyll) where Arthur defeated the Jutes ( Dacians ), Saxons and Gauls , the Saxons took the opportunity to strengthen their hold on England and on his return Arthur reached an agreement giving him the title of Imperator in 528 .

The Monk Gildas who wrote a tract ( c.537 De Excidio Britanniae {The Ruin of Britain } ) shares his concern at the fall from Christianity by denouncing the evils of his day, he states that the first arrivals were invited by a British king Ambrosius Aurelianus c.460 to defend his kingdom as mercenaries , against the Picts and Scots. Gildas, mentioned Badon but never connected Arthur with the victory, and neither Mount Badon nor Camlan have been identified .

Events are not documented well and are unclear, if Arthur's has a claim to reality it is in this era, continental records do tell of a leader who took an army across the channel in c. 468 referring to him as Riothamus (the title of Supreme King )